Box-assembly device

ABSTRACT

The box-assembly device ( 100 ) includes a first locking part ( 10 ) and a second locking part ( 20 ). The first locking part ( 10 ) is open at two faces thereof, thus being fitted over an edge of a panel (P) around a comer of a box. The second locking part ( 20 ) is integrated with an end of the first locking part ( 10 ) into a single body, and is open at two faces thereof, thus being fitted over an edge of another panel (P) around the comer of the box. The first and second locking parts ( 10, 20 ) are open in the same direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates, in general, to a device forassembling boxes and, more particularly, to a box-assembly device whichis easily and simply attached to a comer of a box so as to easily andsimply assemble the box into a desired shape.

[0003] 2. Related Background Art

[0004] Generally, a combined storage and decoration box is fabricated byassembling a plurality of panels into a single body having a rectangularcross-sectional shape, and is used as a box for storing books,flowerpots, and other articles therein.

[0005]FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional box.

[0006] As shown in the drawing, the conventional box is fabricated withupper and lower panels 1 and 2, two side panels 3 and 4 mounted to bothside edges of the upper and lower panels 1 and 2, and a rear panel 5mounted to the rear edges of the upper, lower and two side panels 1, 2,3 and 4.

[0007] To assemble the panels into the box having the above structure,it is necessary to drill through the panels after the panels have beencut to size. Thereafter, the panels are, arranged to form a shape with arectangular cross-section, prior to being assembled into a single bodyby the panels being screwed to one another.

[0008] To align the rear panel 5, fitting grooves 6 configured to matewith the rear panel are formed at desired positions of the rear parts ofthe upper, lower and side panels 1, 2, 3 and 4.

[0009] However, assembly of the panels into the conventional boxrequires a drilling process, a screwing process, and an alignmentprocess to align the fitting grooves 6 with the rear panel 5.

[0010] Therefore, manufacture and assembly of conventional box-assemblyis a complex process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The present invention provides a box-assembly device which iseasily and simply attached to a comer of a box so as to assemble the boxinto a desired shape, while increasing work efficiency. The box assemblydevice includes a first locking part having two faces forming a firstopening. The first opening is configured to receive an edge of a panelat a comer of a box to be constructed. A second locking part isintegrated with an end of the first locking part into a single body. Thesecond locking part has two faces forming a second opening. The secondopening is configured to receive an edge of another panel at the comerof the box. The first and second openings are oriented in the samedirection

[0012] In the box-assembly device, the first and second locking partsmay be integrated with each other at a right angle into a single body,or the first and second locking parts may be integrated with each otherat an obtuse angle into a single body. Each of the first and secondlocking parts are preferably provided with a plurality of compressionridges on inner surfaces thereof so as to increase a locking forcethereof on the panels. A locking hole may be formed on an outer surfaceof at least one of the first and second locking parts. Similarly, alocking projection may be formed on an outer surface of at least one ofthe first and second locking parts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of thepresent invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

[0014]FIG. 1 is a view of a conventional box;

[0015]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a box-assembly device, accordingto the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a box, which is assembled into adesired shape by the use of a plurality of box-assembly devices of thepresent invention;

[0017]FIG. 4 is a view of a plurality of boxes, which are assembled intoa multi-story box arrangement by the use of a plurality of box-assemblydevices of the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of portion A of FIG. 4;

[0019]FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of portion B of FIG. 4;

[0020]FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of portion C of FIG. 4;

[0021]FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of portion D of FIG. 4; and

[0022]FIG. 9 is a view showing a box-assembly device, according toanother embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be describedin detail herein below, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a box-assembly device according toan embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, the box-assemblydevice is designated by the reference numeral 100. As shown in thedrawing, a box-assembly device 100 comprises a first locking part 10 anda second locking part 20 which are respectively fitted over edges of twopanels P placed at a comer of a box. That is, the first locking part 10is open at two faces thereof, thus being fitted over an edge of a panelP around the comer of the box.

[0025] A second locking part 20 having the same structure as that of thefirst locking part 10, and is integrated with an end of the firstlocking part 10 into a single body. The second locking part 20 is openat two faces thereof, thus being fitted over an edge of another panel Paround the comer of the box.

[0026] In the box-assembly device 100, the first and second lockingparts 10 and 20 are open in the same direction, so that the lockingparts 10 and 20 are respectively fitted over the edges of the panels Pin the same direction, thus assembling the panels P into the box havingthe rectangular cross-sectional shape.

[0027] In the present invention, the first and second locking parts 10and 20 are preferably integrated with each other at a right angle into asingle body. In addition, each of the first and second locking parts 10and 20 is preferably provided with a plurality of compression ridges 30on inner surfaces thereof so as to increase a locking force thereof onthe panels P.

[0028] In addition, a locking projection 50 and a locking hole 40 areformed on the outer surfaces of the first and second locking parts 20and 10, respectively.

[0029]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a box, which is assembled into adesired shape by the use of a plurality of box-assembly devices of thepresent invention.

[0030] As shown in the drawing, it is possible to produce a rectangularbox, which is open at the front and back thereof, by assembling the fourpanels P into a single body by fitting the box-assembly devices 100 atthe front and back of the box.

[0031]FIG. 4 is a view of a plurality of boxes, which are assembled intoa multi-story box arrangement by the use of a plurality of box-assemblydevices of the present invention. As shown in the drawing, it ispossible to assemble a plurality of rectangular boxes into themulti-story box arrangement by the use of a plurality of box-assemblydevices 100, after assembling each of multiple rectangular boxes. Thestructures of the multistory box arrangement will be described indetail, based on respective portions A, B, C, and D of the boxarrangement.

[0032]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the portion A of FIG. 4. Thebox-assembly device of the drawing, which is used at an outermost comerof the bottom of the multistory box arrangement, does not require thelocking hole 40 or the locking projection 50.

[0033]FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of portion B of FIG. 4, in which twobox-assembly devices 100 are used at a junction between two facingcomers of two boxes. One of the two box-assembly devices 100 has thelocking hole 40, while the other device 100 has the locking projection50, which is configured to mate with the corresponding locking hole 40.

[0034]FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of portion C of FIG. 4, in which fourbox-assembly devices 100 are used at a junction between four facingcomers of four boxes. Two of the four box-assembly devices 100 each havethe locking holes 40 on the outer surfaces thereof, while the other twobox-assembly devices 100 each have the locking projections 50 on theouter surfaces thereof.

[0035]FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of portion D of FIG. 4, in which fourbox-assembly devices 100 are used at a junction between four facingcomers of four boxes. Each of the four box-assembly devices 100 has onelocking hole 40 and one locking projection 50 on the outer surfacesthereof.

[0036] When the boxes having the box-assembly devices are arranged insuch a multi-story box arrangement, a gap may be formed between thefacing boxes, due to the thickness of the box-assembly devices of FIG.2. In such a case, it is preferred to remove the gaps by inserting afinishing member 60 into each of the gaps, so as to obtain a goodappearance for the box arrangement.

[0037]FIG. 9 is a view showing a box-assembly device according toanother embodiment of the present invention, in which the first andsecond locking parts 10 and 20 are integrated with each other at anobtuse angle into a single body. The box-assembly device of thisembodiment is used to construct boxes of a hexagonal shape. However, itshould be understood that the box-assembly device of the presentinvention may be designed to construct boxes of polygonal shapes, suchas a pentagonal shape, without affecting the function of the presentinvention.

[0038] In this embodiment, the compression ridges, the locking hole, andthe locking projection are formed on the box-assembly device 100, in thesame manner as that described for the embodiment of FIG. 2, and furtherexplanation of them is thus not deemed necessary.

[0039] The operational effect of the box-assembly device having theabove-described structure will be described herein below. When aplurality of panels P are assembled into a box by fitting a box-assemblydevice 100 over the edges of two panels at each comer of the box, thepanels P are strongly held by the device 100, due to the compressionridges 30 formed on the inner surfaces of the device 100. To assemblethe boxes into a desired multi-story box arrangement after the boxes areeach assembled into a single body by use of the box-assembly devices ofFIG. 2, the box-assembly devices 100 of each constructed box arefastened to each other by inserting the locking projections 50 intocorresponding locking holes 40 of a corresponding box, respectively.Gaps, formed between the boxes by the box-assembly devices 100, areremoved by using of the finishing members 60.

[0040] The box-assembly devices are used for assembling a plurality ofboxes into a multi-story box arrangement having partitioned spaces.These partitioned spaces may be used to store books, flowerpots, dolls,and other articles for storage as well as for interior decorationeffect.

[0041] As described above, the present invention provides a box-assemblydevice, which is simply attached to a comer of a box so as to assemblethe box into a desired shape, thus increasing work efficiency andimproving productivity while producing the box.

[0042] In addition, the box-assembly device is used for assembling aplurality of boxes into a desired box arrangement with partitionedspaces, thus effectively storing articles in the partitioned spaces.

What is claimed is:
 1. A box-assembly device, comprising: a firstlocking part having two faces forming a first opening configured toreceive an edge of a panel at a comer of a box to be constructed; and asecond locking part that is integrated with an end of the first lockingpart into a single body, where the second locking part has two facesforming a second opening configured to receive an edge of another panelat the comer of the box, wherein the first and second openings areoriented in the same direction.
 2. The box-assembly device according toclaim 1, wherein the first and second locking parts are integrated witheach other at substantially a right angle into the single body.
 3. Thebox-assembly device according to claim 1, wherein the first and secondlocking parts are integrated with each other at substantially an obtuseangle into the single body.
 4. The box-assembly device according toclaim 1 or 3, wherein each of the first and second locking parts areprovided with a plurality of compression ridges on inner surfacesthereof so as to increase a locking force thereof on the panels.
 5. Thebox-assembly device according to claim 4, wherein a locking hole isformed on an outer surface of at least one of the two faces of the firstand second locking parts.
 6. The box-assembly device according to claim4, wherein a locking projection is formed on an outer surface of atleast one of the two faces of the first and second locking parts.
 7. Thebox-assembly device according to claim 4, wherein a locking hole isformed on an outer surface of one of the two faces of the first andsecond locking parts, while a complementary locking projection is formedon an outer surface of the two faces of a remaining locking part.
 8. Abox-assembly, comprising: a first locking part having two substantiallyparallel first locking part faces configured for receiving a paneltherebetween; a second locking part having another two substantiallyparallel faces configured for receiving another panel therebetween; alocking hole formed in an outer one of said first locking part faces;and a locking projection formed on an outer one of said second lockingpart faces, wherein said locking projection and said locking hole havecomplementary dimensions.
 9. The box-assembly according to claim 8,wherein inner sides of said first and second locking part faces have aplurality of compression ridges to help secure said panels to said firstand second locking parts.
 10. The box-assembly according to claim 8,wherein an angle formed between said first locking part and said secondlocking part is an obtuse angle.